The promise of Interactive TV is finally here. The idea that viewers can interact with your programming, watch commercials, take surveys, play games, or anything else that supports your advertisers’ efforts. These are five of the coolest things news directors need to know about interactive TV.

1. Interactive TV is highly automated.

It doesnt take as many man-hours as you might assume. Interactive TV doesnt require the work of a traditional staff. At Interapt, we recognize that one of the things news directors want to avoid is adding work for their staff.

2. The Second Screen actually drives eyeballs back to your primary screen broadcast.

When your local TV news station has an engaging interactive app for the smart phone or tablet, you will get more viewers watching your morning news local shows while theyre communicating with you; they want to see their interactions with you on the TV live and in real time.

3. Citizen journalism images and video will make your news broadcast more compelling.

You can aggregate content from viewers that you may not have the staff to get on your own, such as a viewer submitting a neighbors home hit by storm damage. During your broadcast, you can see whats trending on Twitter or Facebook and say, Heres what our local viewers are already talking about today. It creates a real-time news experience, combining the best things in social and mobile with the news broadcast.

4. Extras are compelling to viewers.

Broadcasting the offer of extended interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and extended stories on your local stations branded app will encourage the first screen-only viewers to add your branded app to their smart phones and tablets.

5. A local TV news network with a proven, plugged-in interactive audience will result in revenue from national advertisers.

People want to see their local news  national news broadcasts wont talk about their local mayor, local sports teams and hyperlocal news. National advertisers want those eyeballs. National advertisers will enhance the production values of a local news station.

Through products like Interapts BabbleApp, we can demonstrate the proven success and metrics of your engaged, interactive audience to attract those national advertisers.